A former gaming company executive has been executed in China for murdering his billionaire associate over a dispute involving the Netflix adaptation of The Three-Body Problem.
Xu Yao poisoned the food of Yoozoo Games founder Lin Qi in December 2020 after the tycoon sidelined him despite his role in securing the Netflix deal. Lin died on Christmas Day at the age of 39.
Xu was sentenced to death in 2024 following his conviction for Lin's murder. Yoozoo owns the film rights to Liu Cixin's bestselling Chinese science-fiction trilogy, which Netflix adapted into The Three-Body Problem in 2024.
According to local reports, Xu was appointed to lead the Three-Body Universe subsidiary in 2018 but fell out with Lin two years later when the billionaire chose other executives to manage operations.
Yoozoo confirmed Xu's execution on 21 May, stating: “We deeply mourn Mr Lin and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. As colleagues who fought alongside him, all members of the company are grateful for the impartiality of the judicial process.”
The Netflix series, released in March 2024, follows scientists facing an alien invasion. The cast includes Benedict Wong, Eiza Gonzalez, Jovan Adepo, and Jonathan Pryce, with executive producers including Brad Pitt, Rosamund Pike and Rian Johnson.
